Toddler Drawing Disasters

Question: "The other day I walked into my kitchen and my son had gotten hold of a pencil and had written all over the walls and floor. I was horrified! What is the deal with crazy toddlers? Do I need to hide all the pencils and pens from now on?"

Didn't you know that driving parents crazy is in a toddler's job description? It's what they do best! By all means, hide the writing implements — but also break them out for supervised art time. Sounds like you have a little Leonardo in the making — and that he's going to turn your kitchen (or the walls of the living room) into his next masterpiece if you don't give him a chance to practice his art. Try taping a roll of paper to the coffee table or the floor — so your child has a really big canvas to work with. Pencils are a little dicey because of the sharp points (though you can use them carefully supervised), but crayons and chunky washable markers (notice I said "washable") are easy to manipulate. During your little art sessions, keep repeating the idea that "we draw on paper." He probably won't exercise that kind of restraint for a while (which is why hiding the Sharpies is smart), but it's a good message to start getting across.

Here's to your child's creative spirit!

Written by Heidi Murkoff

Heidi Murkoff is the author of the world’s best-selling pregnancy and parenting series, What to Expect, that began with What to Expect When You’re Expecting. She is also the creator of WhatToExpect.com and founder of the What to Expect Foundation.